Facebook Posts Falsely Claim That The US Arrested A Chinese Scientist Who “Created” The Coronavirus

Facebook posts shared thousands of times feature a video of US officials talking to reporters, with captions claiming they are announcing the arrest of a Chinese scientist who “created” the new coronavirus. However, the footage has nothing to do with COVID-19 and scientists have refuted allegations the virus was deliberately created.
“USA Arrested A Chinese Scientist That Created Coronavirus (sic),” reads the caption on a video shared more than 3,500 times by MOB TV, a Facebook page covering Nigerian news.

The clip features two officials from the US Department of Justice holding a press conference.

“We’re here today to announce three separate cases highlighting the ongoing threat posed by Chinese economic espionage and research theft,” one of the men says, standing in front of a US Department of Justice sign.

“China’s communist government’s goal, simply put, is to replace the United States as the world’s leading superpower and they’re breaking the law to get there,” his colleague says later on in the footage.

However, at no point do they refer to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 50,000 lives around the world as of April 3, 2020.

AFP ran a reverse image search on the video using the InVID We Verify tool, which traced the footage to local news reports on a press conference on January 28, 2020, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Scientists charged
At the conference, US Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling and the head of Boston’s Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI), Joseph Bonavolonta, announced the arrest of a Harvard scientist and two Chinese nationals for hiding alleged ties to China.

AFP reported that US prosecutors charged the chairman of Harvard University’s chemistry and chemical biology department Charles Lieber with hiding his alleged role in a Chinese government programme that security officials say steals trade secrets.

Two other scientists, both Chinese nationals, were also charged as part of an investigation into hundreds of cases of alleged theft by Chinese scientists in the US.

The arrests were widely covered by local media, who broadcast footage from the original press conference.

Virus not man-made
Experts have refuted the theory that the new coronavirus was deliberately created. In a letter published in The Lancet medical journal, various public health scientists said that the virus “originated in wildlife”.

“We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin. Scientists from multiple countries … overwhelmingly conclude that this coronavirus originated in wildlife, as have so many other emerging pathogens,” it reads.

Scientists at the Ohio State University in the US also published a paper concluding there was “no credible evidence” that the new coronavirus was engineered in a laboratory.

The coronavirus outbreak has sparked a surge in anti-Chinese sentiment on social media, while US President Donald Trump has called for the protection of Asian communities after his use of the term “Chinese virus” sparked a backlash.

Mario Balotelli ‘Sacked’ By His Club Brescia After Skipping Training For 10 Days

Italian football striker, Mario Balotelli has reportedly been sacked by his club Brescia after he skipped training for ten days.

Reports in Italy on Saturday morning claimed Brescia owner Massimo Cellino sent the controversial footballer a letter requesting the termination of his three-year contract at the club after he failed to show up for training when lockdown restrictions were eased.

The 29-year-old former Manchester City and Liverpool player was contracted to Brescia until 2022, following the £160,000-per-week deal he signed with his hometown club back in August 2019.

It was reported that his contract with Brescia was set to be terminated at the end of the 2019/20 campaign. But according to Football Italia and Gazzetta dello Sport, his contract with the club has now been terminated.

Newspaper Repubblica also claimed that both Cellino and Balotelli, who earns £877,000-a-year at Brescia have also reached a financial settlement.

Speaking in a recent interview with BBC, Cellino admitted his regret at signing Balotelli who scored five goals in 19 games for the club.

He said: ‘I think we both made a mistake,’ Cellino told the BBC’s World Football programme.

‘I thought that coming to Brescia, which is his town, would commit him very much.

‘At the same time, I think he was handled the wrong way by my previous coach [Eugenio Corini].

‘He doesn’t show up to training, he doesn’t look very committed let’s say, for the future of the club. That’s the problem.

‘Balotelli’s got a contract in Serie A, but he doesn’t have a contract in Serie B. So if we’re relegated, Balotelli won’t have a contract any more.

‘Balotelli apparently doesn’t like to stay in Italy anymore because he’s not acting that way.’

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You Cheated On Me’ : Lady Calls Out Ned Nwoko After He Shared Regina Daniels Baby Bump Photo On IG

A lady has made a very damning allegation about popular Nollywood actress Regina Daniels’ husband, Ned Nwoko.

The lady identified as @dutchess_emmy accused Ned Nwoko of cheating on her and after breaking her heart, had to come out to publicly announce the pregnancy of Regina Daniels.

Dutchess_emmy made this allegation after Ned Nwoko shared a baby bump photo of her 6th wife, Regina Daniels where he officially stated that he and Regina is expecting their first child.

However, it appears the Instagram lady was in a serious relationship with the 64-year-old business mogul but their affair did not end up in marriage like how it happened for him and the Nigerian screen star.

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Michael Jordan To Donate $100 million To Organizations Fighting For Racial Justice And Equality

Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand on Friday announced a $100 million donation to help the ongoing fight against racial injustice.

In a joint statement released by his manager Estee Portnoy, the basketball legend said that over the next 10 years, he and his brand will donate $100 million to “organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education.”

“Jordan Brand is more than one man. It has always been a family,” the statement begins. “We represent a proud family that has overcome obstacles, fought against discrimination in communities worldwide and that works every day to erase the stain of racism and the damage of injustice.”

It continues, “The will, the work, the excellence the world has come to know is the result of one generation after another, pouring their dreams into the next. It’s 2020, and our family now includes anyone who aspires to our way of life. Yet as much as things have changed, the worst remains the same.”

“Black lives matter. This isn’t a controversial statement. Until the ingrained racism that allows our country’s institutions to fail is completely eradicated, we will remain committed to protecting and improving the lives of Black people,” they share.

In his previous statement on George Floyd’s death and the ongoing police brutality and racial injustice protests, the 57-year-old former Chicago Bulls great and owner of the Charlotte Hornets said he was “deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry.”

“I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough,” he said. “… We must listen to each other, show compassion and empathy and never turn our backs on senseless brutality. We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability.”